Practice Makes Perfect
by Merqurius
Summary: When Ianto is having trouble during weapons training, he comes up with a risky plan that endangers his team mates. Jack catches him and decides he can't simply let this go. Warning: discipline fic.


**Summary**: When Ianto is having trouble during weapons training, he comes up with a risky plan that endangers his team mates. Jack catches him and decides he can't simply let this go. Warning: discipline fic.

**Disclaimer**: Don't own any of it. Sadly.

**Warning**: This is a discipline fic, which means it will contain corporal punishment. Don't like, don't read.

**A/N**: Please forgive me any liberties I've taken when describing the guns and the exact workings of blanks. To be perfectly honest, I have no idea whether you could load a normal gun with blanks and what the exact characteristics/effects of blanks are. I just used them as a plot device.

**A/N2**: Written for ficwriterjet's 20 Prompt Challenge. Prompt: Cheat.

Practice Makes Perfect

Ianto's finger trembled slightly as he felt the cold metal of the trigger. He assumed the position Jack had taught him, aimed the gun and squeezed slowly. As the bullet left the chamber, he couldn't help flinching and closing his eyes at the sudden noise. The shot went wide.

"You blinked again," Jack told him sternly. "I told you, you have to keep yourself from blinking. Your shots will miss every time." He gestured at the cardboard cutout of the weevil they were aiming at. "Try again. Aim for the head this time."

Ianto sighed, frustrated. He raised the gun a little too quickly, impatient to show Jack that he could do it. The shot rang through the firing range once more and Ianto involuntarily blinked again. Every time he pulled the trigger, it was like being back at the battle of Canary Wharf. Either that, or he remembered his colleagues pumping bullets in his girlfriend.

Jack sighed as Ianto's shot missed the cutout by several feet. Ianto lowered the gun slowly, purposefully not looking at Jack. Moments later, he felt Jack wrench the firearm from his hand. "This is important, Ianto," he lectured the younger man, invading his personal space slightly. "I can't allow you to become a field agent if you're unable to shoot." He took a step back and put the gun down on a nearby table. He then aimed a glare at Ianto. "We're continuing at seven tonight, if you're willing to concentrate then."

Ianto nodded stiffly and Jack left the firing range. When he'd gone, Ianto let out the breath that he didn't know he'd been holding and aimed an angry kick at the table. It was two months ago since Lisa had died. One month ago since he'd come back from his suspension. That day, Jack had called him into his office and made him an offer he couldn't refuse. Jack promised to train him as a field agent, in exchange for his loyalty. Ianto would be well and truly a part of the team then.

The response of the others was mixed. Tosh had been eager to teach him about computers and the basics of the different programs she wrote and ran. She'd been ecstatic to find out that he was a natural and that for once, she had someone who actually listened to her when she talked about technical stuff. After she'd given a glowing report of his skills to Jack, his boss had finally smiled at him with the same warmth Ianto remembered from before he found out about Lisa. It made Ianto all the more determined to earn his trust back.

Owen still made it clear that he wasn't quite ready to forgive Ianto yet. But whenever the young man brought him his coffee, the medic was willing to tell him something about whatever alien corpse he was dissecting or give him some pointers when it came to first aid. When he was in a really good mood, he even took the time to patiently answer any questions Ianto tentatively put to him.

His contact with Gwen was slightly awkward. He was sure she hadn't forgotten being almost killed by the knives of Lisa's conversion machine, though she tried to pretend that she had. She seemed glad that she would now no longer be the newest active team member. At the moment, she had little to teach him, but did help him learn some of the police jargon.

Two weeks ago, Jack had told him it was time for a new part of his training and had taken Ianto down to the shooting range. They'd had six lessons now, but Ianto's progress was slow. He hadn't told Jack what the shooting reminded him of and why he had trouble, because he was afraid that the older man would think that he was unfit to be a field agent. Besides, he didn't want to disappoint him. But lately, Jack had become increasingly short and impatient with him during lessons and Ianto was reluctant to set foot on the range. The nerves were starting to affect the steadiness of his hands and this morning, he'd thrown up before meeting Jack.

He dragged a weary hand across his forehead and decided to get back to the hub. He'd been hoping that he could leave early tonight or perhaps try writing a simple program with Tosh, but because of the extra training Jack had just scheduled, that didn't seem likely. When he came to the door of the firing range, he saw that Jack was still outside, talking into his earpiece to someone.

"I think we're wasting our time. It clearly can't be done and we have other priorities at the moment." Jack paused for a moment. "Yes, Tosh, I understand that you'd rather try for a bit longer, but believe me, I know a hopeless case when I see one." Another pause. "Fine. But if I don't see any improvement tonight, it's over, okay?"

Ianto took a step back as a sudden wave of dizziness hit him. Jack was giving up on him. If he didn't perform well tonight, he'd be back in the archives 24/7, never properly a part of the team. With hindsight, it was almost admirable how quickly a plan formed in his mind.

Jack always let Ianto prepare the guns and the cutouts before joining him to start the lesson. Ianto loaded the gun he usually used and approached the cutouts. From only a foot away, he put five bullets in the fake weevil, all centered around its head and heart. He did the same to the other cutouts. From the distance they usually stood at, the damage was not noticeable. Up close, however, it seemed that someone had been shooting straight on target. Then Ianto quickly went to the armoury and grabbed a box of blanks. The blanks looked exactly the same as normal bullets, they just wouldn't leave any damage. Ianto pre-loaded his gun with them, got extra blanks out of the box and put them on the table to use as spares, before carefully putting the box away. Jack would think Ianto was hitting the targets, while in fact, he wasn't even using real bullets.

Technically, it was cheating. He knew that. It wasn't too different from the time he wrote the answers of a math test on his hand back when he was in school. But he reasoned that it wouldn't be a big deal if he only did it once. Just to convince Jack that he wasn't a hopeless case. The next lesson, he would shoot for real again. His boss would never even know.

When Jack entered the firing range that evening, Ianto was ready. Jack took his position next to him.

"Okay. Take your stance." He waited until Ianto complied. "Legs just a little further apart, you're more stable then." Jack nudged his feet apart with one of his boots and Ianto obeyed again. "Relax your shoulders. And when you pull that trigger, try to keep your eyes open." Ianto nodded tersely. "Go for it."

He fired. Somehow, knowing the bullets weren't real made him less nervous. The noise still startled him, but he didn't blink and was able to empty the magazine.

"Good!" Jack sounded impressed. "Not bad at all, Ianto." He took the gun from his employee and unknowingly reloaded it with blanks, before handing it back. "Try the next one."

Ianto did so, more confident this time.

"Impressive," Jack commented. He smiled at Ianto. "Really nice work." He loaded the gun once more and then paused as his earpiece crackled into life. "Tosh? What is it? Where? Alright, we're coming up. Tell Owen and Gwen to get the SUV ready."

Ianto looked at him questioningly.

"Blowfish sighting in Splott," Jack explained. "Now, seeing as Tosh injured her ankle this afternoon chasing after that weevil and because your shooting has improved, why don't you come out with us? We could use an extra man in the field." He handed Ianto the gun and misinterpreted his look of apprehension and fear. "No need to be nervous. Blowfish are intelligent enough to cave under just the threat of a gun. I doubt you'll have to shoot. Come on, we got to get going." He put his hand on the small of Ianto's back and started leading him to the exit of the range. Ianto looked nervously down at the gun, which he knew Jack had just reloaded with more blanks. It was too late to change anything now.

TW

Ianto sat anxiously in the back of the SUV, fiddling with his earpiece through which he could hear Tosh giving Jack instructions about the location of the blowfish. Gwen smiled encouragingly at him.

"Okay, according to Tosh, it's in one of the alleys," Jack told him. "We're going to have to leave the SUV and continue on foot." He braked hard. "Owen, Ianto, you two go left. Keep listening to Tosh' instructions. Gwen, you and I will take the right."

Within seconds, they were running. Ianto was just feet behind Owen, trying hard not to fall behind. He heard Tosh shouting at them.

"Owen, Ianto, take a right up ahead! I see him on one of the CCTV camera's. Wait, he's gone. I can't find him. Be careful!"

Her warning came too late. Owen, who had gained a few yards on Ianto by this time, came sprinting out of the alley and Ianto could only watch helplessly as the blowfish suddenly jumped him from a dark corner. Owen hit the ground hard and yelled in pain as he landed awkwardly on his left hand. He had no time to recover, though. The blowfish scrambled to get on top of him and punched him in the face, while trying to free the gun from Owen's belt.

"Ianto, shoot him!" Owen yelled desperately.

Ianto quickly took a deep breath, aimed the gun at the blowfish's head and pulled the trigger. A loud _bang _disturbed the nightly silence. The blowfish stilled completely for a moment as if trying to figure out if he'd been hit. Then he seemed to grin and raised his fist to punch Owen once again.

"Ianto!"

Ianto pulled the trigger again and again, hoping desperately that one of the bullets would turn out not to be a blank. After three more useless shots, the blowfish didn't even flinch anymore and wrapped his long fingers around Owen's throat.

Ianto started to panic. Suddenly, a different sound rang through the air. It was slightly lower than the noise Ianto's gun had made. The blowfish went rigid and fell sideways off Owen, who half sat up, carefully feeling his neck with his uninjured hand. Ianto whirled around and saw Jack standing behind him, his Webley still smoking in his hand. Gwen came rushing onto the scene and immediately began to check Owen's injuries.

Jack put his Webley away and walked over to Ianto, grabbing the gun from his hand, checking it thoroughly this time. The cold fury in his eyes told Ianto that his boss knew exactly what he'd done.

"Get back to the SUV," Jack growled at him in a low voice.

"But, sir-"

"Now!"

As Ianto hurried back to the car, Jack crouched down at Owen's side. "Can you get up?"

"Yeah," Owen replied, wincing slightly as he was helped to his feet. "It's just my arm. It feels broken."

Jack nodded, inspecting it carefully. "Yeah, looks like it. Cardiff General is just up the road. It's probably quicker to walk to the emergency room than to go back to the car first. Gwen, I want you to take him."

"Jack, it's fine," Owen protested, still somewhat shaky on his feet. "I can fix this myself back at the hub."

Jack held up his hand. "Not another word, Owen. You're going and that's final. Gwen, I want you to make sure he cooperates. Get him home afterwards and see to it that he actually takes the pain killers they give him."

He cut off any other remarks Owen wanted to make by turning around and speaking into his earpiece. "Tosh? Yeah, he's going to be fine. Look, I want you to go home. We're done for the night. That's an order, okay? Alright. See you tomorrow."

Tosh was going home. Owen and Gwen were halfway up the road, on their way to the ER. Jack headed back to the SUV, thankful that he and Ianto had the hub for themselves. This was going to be a conversation that did not need any bystanders.

TW 

Ianto was waiting in the passenger seat. His gun was laying on the dashboard, as if he wanted to keep it as far away from him as possible. Jack got behind the wheel and there was a moment of total silence.

"Sir?" Ianto asked tentatively.

Jack held up his hand. "I don't want to hear it. Not yet. We're going to go back to the hub and then you're going to explain to me what the hell you were thinking. And you better hope the drive calms me down a little, Ianto Jones."

The SUV took off and the rest of the journey continued in complete silence.

TW

"Sit."

Ianto nervously lowered himself onto the chair in front of Jack's desk. Jack had taken the gun from the car and dropped it heavily on the desk. He remained standing himself.

"These are blanks. I take it that if I go down and check the bullets we used this evening at the firing range, I'm also going to find blanks?"

"Yes, sir," Ianto whispered, his eyes on the floor.

"So you cheated during our lesson?"

"Yes, sir."

"But you weren't just cheating," Jack continued, his tone low and dangerous. "When I told you to come with us, you knew I was handing you a useless gun. You had ample opportunity to tell me the truth, but you chose to keep your mouth shut. Have you any idea what could have happened tonight?" He didn't wait for a reply. "If Gwen and I hadn't turned up when we did, that blowfish would have been able to kill Owen, perhaps kill you!"

"I'm sorry!" Ianto offered desperately. "I thought I wouldn't need to use it. The blanks were just supposed to be for that one lesson. I never meant to endanger Owen!"

"Well, you did!" The volume of his voice made his youngest employee cringe. "What were you thinking, Ianto? Does the safety of your colleagues mean that little to you?"

"It doesn't, sir!" Ianto protested loudly, attempting to get out of his chair, but sinking down again as Jack glared at him while taking a step forward. He continued in a softer tone: "You know it doesn't."

"Really?" Sarcasm was heavy in Jack's voice. "Because two months ago, your actions also put everyone here in danger." Ianto flinched and Jack knew he was being cruel. His next words were less harsh. "Why did you do it?"

"I just didn't want you to give up on me," Ianto told him softly. "I heard what you said to Tosh after our lesson this morning."

Jack's expression turned to one of confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"You told her you were wasting your time," Ianto said, fiddling with the end of his tie. "That you had other priorities at the moment and that if you didn't see any improvement by tonight, it was over."

Jack pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes for a moment. He suddenly remembered the conversation. "That wasn't about you, Ianto," he sighed. "I was talking to Tosh about that sphere that came through the rift last week. She wants to run extra tests on it, while I'm convinced the thing is either useless or broken and want to put it in the archives." He paused. "Why did you think I was talking about you?"

Ianto shrugged awkwardly, suddenly even more uncomfortable than he'd been before. He found it hard to believe that he'd misunderstood Jack's words like this. "Well, I wasn't improving in the shooting lessons and you told me I wasn't concentrating…" His voice trailed off.

Jack shook his head regretfully. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that." Then his voice turned stern again and he pointed at Ianto. "But you, Ianto Jones, should know better than to think that I'd give up on you. I know you're having a little trouble with the shooting, but I also know we can fix that with a couple of extra lessons. I never thought about quitting on you. You should have come to talk to me if you were worried."

"I'm sorry, sir."

"I'm afraid 'sorry' just isn't good enough." Jack finally walked around his desk and sat down. "Your actions today could have had serious consequences. I can't just let that go. Now, as I understand it, it wasn't your intention to betray me or Torchwood. Believe me, if I thought it was, you wouldn't get another chance."

Ianto swallowed and nodded, before adding a soft: "Yes, sir."

"Therefore, your punishment shall be for cheating and displaying a grave lack of judgement. Two months ago, I punished you with a month's worth of suspension. I'm not sure that that's the best option in this case. That's why I'm going to give you a choice, Ianto, between a formal punishment and a less formal one."

Ianto waited nervously for him to continue.

"The first option I'm going to give you, is to take another suspension. After two weeks, you'll be allowed to come back and this incident is forgotten. However, that also means that I'm going to hold off on your training as a field agent for another year, until I'm absolutely sure that I can trust you. There will be a permanent note in your file." Jack took a deep breath and got up from his chair again. He was not too certain about the second option. "The other choice I'm going to give you, will allow you to continue your training immediately."

"What is it, sir?" Ianto asked tentatively.

Jack took a moment to clear a few items from his desk, emptying it almost completely. Then he opened one of the drawers and got out a large, wooden ruler. "Since you've behaved as a school boy, you will be punished as one. You'll bend over this desk and I will use this on your backside, until I'm sure you've learned your lesson. After that, the slate is clean. No suspension, no additional consequences."

He put the ruler down on the desk, the noise of its impact telling Ianto exactly how heavy it was. The young man stared at it for a few seconds, before sneaking a glance at his boss' face, checking to see whether he was serious. Jack was dead serious. Ianto licked his lips that suddenly felt very dry. He opened his mouth to answer Jack, realized he had no answer and closed it again. He felt guilty about switching the bullets, he really did, and whenever he thought of what had happened to Owen, a sinking feeling of remorse filled him, but that didn't mean he wanted Jack to hurt him. He was twenty-five, he shouldn't be spanked by his boss like a disobedient child.

Jack gave Ianto the time to choose. He didn't want to force this punishment on the younger man. The object was to teach him a lesson and give him a painful reminder of what would happen if he ever tried a stunt like this again. It wasn't to instill fear in him.

Eventually, Ianto broke the silence. He spoke in a low voice, his eyes fixed somewhere at the height of Jack's knees. "I want to be a field agent." With some difficulty, he made eye contact. "And I trust you, sir."

That was all the conformation Jack needed. He picked up the ruler and walked over to Ianto's chair. His employee flinched and pressed himself against the back of his seat, increasing the distance between himself and Jack. Jack halted, knowing he had to take this slow.

"Get up," he ordered not unkindly. Ianto almost tripped over his feet in his haste to comply. "Take off your jacket and hang it over your chair." Jack deliberately kept his commands simple and allowed Ianto to follow them without thinking or questioning him. He reasoned that Ianto would be more comfortable bending over the desk without his tight suit jacket on. Besides, it would also remove the armour the young man tended to wear when he was at Torchwood.

Ianto took the jacket off and hung it over the chair, leaving him standing in his white shirt and tie, looking even younger and more vulnerable.

"Walk over to the desk."

Ianto took a deep breath and seemed to steal himself for something. He raised his head slightly and took the few steps past Jack over to the desk. His demeanour became almost defiant. Jack frowned as he halted. Ianto wasn't supposed to suffer through this punishment as a martyr, focusing on keeping his dignity intact rather than on repentance. Jack intended to fix that attitude.

"Drop your trousers."

Ianto whirled around to face him, his expression a mixture of fright and shock. "Sir, please!"

Jack shook his head, determined not to show any sympathy. "You've made your choice, Ianto. Now I'm calling the shots. Drop your trousers. You can't deny you've deserved this."

Ianto threw Jack a final, pleading look, but, seeing as his boss wasn't going to give in, focused on unbuckling his belt. He turned back to the desk, his back to Jack, and after a few moments of fumbling with the button and the zipper, quickly pushed his pants down to his ankles. He then bent forward without having to be told, placing his hands on the desk. The fight seemed to have left him and he was all anxious obedience. Jack was glad to see this change. He would have hated to tell Ianto to also shed the black boxers he was wearing.

Ianto nervously waited for what was to come. He resisted the urge to pull away when he noticed Jack's hand on the small of his back, keeping him in place. Then, he felt the ruler rest lightly on his behind, almost if Jack was aiming before laying down the first swat. Both men took a deep breath. Ianto closed his eyes. Jack raised his arm and let the ruler descend.

The sound registered before the actual pain did. A loud _crack_, after which a dead silence filled the office, broken when Ianto whimpered at the sting the ruler produced. Part of him wanted to get up and leave, telling Jack that he could go to hell with his punishment. But the larger part of him knew he deserved this. Then he heard the ruler sweeping through the air a second time, before coming down just below the first strike. He suddenly realized just how little protection his boxers offered.

The next strikes followed quickly and as the discomfort grew, Ianto started to move slightly. When the ruler had not completely hit its target for the second time, Jack pushed Ianto a little more firmly down on the desk and made his swats a bit harder in order to speed up the process. Ianto's breathing turned ragged and after the eighteenth strike, he suddenly threw one of his hands back, trying to block the ruler.

Jack paused for a moment, taking the time to pin both of Ianto's hands behind his back and pushing him down once again on the table. "Keep still, Ianto," he ordered gently, before resuming the swats.

Ianto struggled in vain, then yelled panicked: "Jack, I can't do this!"

Jack didn't stop again. "Yes, you can. I'd never give you more than I thought you could handle. But you earned this. You tricked me by switching the bullets." He snapped the ruler down hard. "You led me to believe your shooting had improved." Ianto gasped in pain at the next strike. "You didn't say anything when I loaded your gun with blanks." Jack put even more force behind his strokes. "You endangered yourself and your colleagues in the field."

Ianto started sobbing and Jack felt his heart break slightly, but he didn't allow himself to lighten his swats. He placed five more quick strikes of the ruler on the most sensitive part of Ianto's behind, where most of the pressure would be when he'd sit down, trying to ignore the cries his youngest employee let out. The final five times, the ruler landed on Ianto's thighs, beneath the minimal protection his boxer's provided, leaving five red welts on the pale skin.

Ianto barely noticed when the spanking stopped. He felt one of Jack's large hands stroking his back and heard him place the ruler on the desk. Ianto didn't get up immediately, momentarily wracked by pain and guilt.

"It's okay, it's over," Jack's voice soothed. He gently took Ianto's shoulder and helped him up. The young man suddenly seemed to realize his trousers were still around his ankles and made a painful move to get them up, but Jack stopped him. "Leave them for now. It's okay." He pressed the crying man against his chest and Ianto let him, needing the comfort and the knowledge that he was well and truly forgiven. His face was buried in Jack's chest as his sobs gradually lessened, while Jack rubbed his back and whispered comforting words in his ear.

TW

With hindsight, it seemed to Ianto as if they'd stood holding each other for hours. In actual fact, it was probably not longer than minutes. Eventually, he'd been able to stop crying and Jack had told him to go lay down in his bed. Ianto had wanted to protest, thinking it was a little weird to use his boss' bed, but it didn't seem wise to argue while the wooden ruler was still laying on the desk. Jack had brought him downstairs, handed him an t-shirt that was much too big for Ianto and then he'd gone back upstairs to make some calls and finish some paperwork. He'd correctly figured that Ianto needed a moment to digest everything that had happened and to rest. The both of them were drained after the experience.

Ianto had been dozing for almost half an hour now. He was glad he hadn't argued with Jack, because the bed was very comfortable, even though he was forced to lay on his stomach. It smelt somewhat of Jack, which was somehow soothing. Above him, he heard his boss talking to Owen on the phone.

"Have you taken the pain pills?" Jack asked. Ianto couldn't hear the medic's reply, but was able to guess it from Jack's exasperated sigh. 'Then do it now! Do you want me to come down to your apartment? Then take them. Good. Alright, I'll see you on Monday. No, not tomorrow. Monday. You need to rest. Goodnight, Owen."

Seconds later, Ianto heard Jack come down the ladder. He looked up and made a move to get up, but Jack motioned for him to remain where he was.

"Owen's going to be fine," Jack told him and Ianto sighed in relief. "His arm is broken and he has to wear a cast for a couple of weeks, but he's going to make a full recovery." He saw how Ianto lowered his eyes for just a moment as he was told about Owen's injuries and Jack was quick to hold up a warning finger. "That wasn't your fault. Even if your gun had been fully functional, you couldn't have stopped that blowfish from jumping him in the first place. For the rest of what happened, you've been punished. It's over. No need to feel guilty about it."

Ianto nodded and Jack sat down on the bed, resting his back against the headboard. He placed a hand on Ianto's shoulder. Apparently, Jack needed the physical contact just as much as Ianto did, wishing to assure himself that he hadn't irreparably damaged the bond he had with his youngest employee. Normally, Ianto didn't enjoy such close contact, but it was as if being punished had made him a bit more vulnerable, almost a bit more child-like. It was a side of him he'd be mortified to find out anyone else saw. Tonight, however, he was past caring.

"You comfortable?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good," Jack said. "We'll be continuing with our shooting lesson on Monday, okay?"

"Okay," Ianto replied softly.

There was just a hint of doubt in his voice, which Jack picked up on. He frowned at the younger man. "Something wrong?"

It was a sign of the effectiveness of the punishment Jack had handed out earlier that Ianto didn't answer with an immediate 'no, sir'. Instead, he remained silent, unable to deceive Jack again, but also unwilling to speak the truth.

"Ianto?" Jack asked a little more firmly. When he still didn't get a reply, he removed his hand from Ianto's back and used it to swat him once. Ianto yelped indignantly at the sudden sting and tried to roll away in order to get his backside out of Jack's reach. Jack, however, was faster and wrapped his arm around the young man's waist, immobilizing him in place. "Ianto, I need an answer. It's important that I know this."

The silence endured and Jack closed his eyes for a moment as he contemplated laying down another swat. He really didn't want to do this again. Then, suddenly, Ianto spoke quietly: "It just reminds me …", he paused and took a deep breath, before rushing the rest of the sentence. "… of the battle. And of … her."

He buried his head in Jack's pillow and felt how the older man removed his hands from his body. He'd expected that. Jack would surely think he was an unfit member of this team now. How would Jack, who had lived through both World Wars, look at someone who was still having nightmares and flashbacks to one single day? And he didn't know what he was thinking, mentioning Lisa to Jack. He'd had his time to grieve during his suspension. It should be over now.

He expected to be ordered to get up and to be thrown out of the hub. He expected harsh words and scorn. What he didn't expect, was for Jack to lie down next to him and to feel one of Jack's hands resting on the back of his neck, his thumb stroking Ianto's short hair. What he didn't expect to hear, were the words: "I understand."

And suddenly, Ianto wanted to cry again.

TW

Monday morning had passed quietly and for the first time in weeks, Ianto found himself actually looking forward to his shooting lesson. Especially because it meant he was allowed to leave the uncomfortable chair at his workplace. Jack had smirked knowingly at him when he'd seen Ianto squirm and the younger man had considered putting his boss on decaf for the rest of the week. Sadly, he wasn't that courageous. Besides, just a few days ago, he and Jack had talked until deep in the night. About Torchwood, about war, about Canary Wharf. Even about Lisa. Jack deserved the nice coffee.

Ianto got the ammo and the guns, putting them on the table. He loaded his weapon and was just about finished when Jack walked into the room. Ianto extended his arm, attempting to hand Jack the gun. Jack looked at him in confusion.

"The bullets are real this time, sir. You can check."

Jack didn't take it. "Just before I punished you, you told me that you trusted me. Now I'm telling you the same. I don't need to check the gun."

Ianto nodded gratefully. He felt Jack touch his shoulder for a second, before giving Ianto the space to start shooting. Ianto turned away and adopted the correct position, a genuine smile on his face. For the very first time, he had no trouble at all hitting the targets.

The End

**A/N3**: This is my first time writing something like this. I'd really like some feedback on it, but flames purely because this story contains CP, are not appreciated. Thanks for reading, :).


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